Danzo set down the letter from Uchiha Fugaku and looked at Uchiha Shisui, who was kneeling before him.
"The clan head has no intention of competing for the Hokage position. However… the rest of the clan…"
After hearing Shisui's explanation, Danzo couldn't help but sigh.
"These truly are turbulent times."
Among the Hokage candidates, some had withdrawn, some had fled, and others had simply stepped aside. The only remaining competitor was a young Namikaze Minato, barely in his early twenties.
The Uchiha clan, however, seemed to think this was their chance.
They had started reaching out to various noble clans, even coming to test the waters with him.
Danzo knew why. After the recent events concerning the Land of Wind, the Uchiha had seen the cracks in his relationship with the Third Hokage.
Did they really not understand? Neither the Hokage faction nor the other clans would ever allow an Uchiha to take the position of Hokage.
Or perhaps they did understand… yet still couldn't resist the temptation of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
From Fugaku's letter, it was clear that he remained level-headed—he knew he had no real chance.
But it was also obvious that he wasn't the sole decision-maker within the Uchiha clan.
"What do you think?" Danzo asked.
"The Uchiha have no chance in this election," Shisui replied firmly.
"And why do you think that? Namikaze Minato is just a commoner. Compared to Uchiha Fugaku, he doesn't have much of an advantage."
"Precisely because he is a commoner, the other clans won't reject him, and the civilian population will support him even more. On top of that, he is Jiraiya-sama's student and has already proven himself with numerous achievements… The village is still recovering. This is a time for stability, not unnecessary internal conflict. He is the best choice right now."
Danzo listened to Shisui's reasoning. As expected, a man who thought from the perspective of the village.
"Is this your own opinion?" Danzo asked, intrigued.
"It's what I believe… and 'Itachi' thinks the same," Shisui answered honestly.
Danzo paused for a moment before continuing. "And what benefit would Namikaze Minato becoming Hokage bring to the Uchiha?"
"That…" Shisui hesitated. He hadn't considered that question before.
Danzo couldn't help but scoff internally—good thing he hadn't been born into the Uchiha clan.
With a sigh, he looked at Shisui.
"In fact, this could be an opportunity for the Uchiha," Danzo said.
Shisui's eyes widened in shock. "You want the clan head to compete for Hokage?"
"No. Fugaku has no chance of becoming Hokage… but he does have a choice."
Seeing that Shisui was listening intently, Danzo continued,
"The Uchiha clan's recent contributions in the Land of Waves have placed Fugaku in the running for Hokage. But that's as far as it goes. Rather than wasting those accomplishments trying to challenge Namikaze Minato, it would be wiser to support him instead.
Doing so would earn the favor of the Fourth Hokage and help shift the village's long-standing perception of the Uchiha.
This could be used to strengthen the clan's foundation and ease the tension between the Uchiha and the village…"
"This…" Shisui murmured in surprise, processing Danzo's words.
"Go. Discuss this with Fugaku and Itachi. Figure out your next steps."
"Understood, Danzo-sama."
As Shisui left, Danzo sat in deep thought. If this plan succeeded, how would it affect Namikaze Minato, the village, the Uchiha, and even Root?
He also needed to consider just how much influence he had over Uchiha Itachi.
It was clear that Itachi and Shisui shared a similar mindset.
And through Shisui, Danzo had been subtly introducing him to the ideology of Root.
But how much had actually taken root?
...
Meanwhile, in the Northwestern Fire Country…
The Land of Rivers had undergone a dramatic transformation over the past six months.
With a stable and flourishing trade network, it had absorbed much of the commerce from the western regions of the Land of Fire.
Beyond the land routes, the northern ports of the Land of Rivers were packed with ships, both large and small.
They carried food, timber, and textiles from the Land of Fire to the Land of Wind, then returned with minerals and ores.
Amidst the bustling harbor, a rare merchant ship from the Land of Water slowly approached.
The crew members, gazing at the thriving port, were visibly surprised.
They didn't linger long at the harbor.
After a two-day journey, crossing the first mountain range, they arrived at the heart of the Land of Rivers.
"You don't have to worry. We'll take good care of them. They'll stay in the village just below. Also, tell your clan head—the Land of Rivers will always welcome you."
Yakushi Nonō personally received the visitors.
"I will relay the message," replied the escort, a trained shinobi who had clearly undergone proper ninja discipline. He spoke no unnecessary words.
With their mission complete, they immediately led their team back to the Land of Water.
All that remained were six orphaned children, now formally integrated into the village at the mountain's base.
All of this was the result of the growing chaos within the Land of Water.
The situation had escalated to the point that even one of the great clans—the Hozuki Clan—had lost faith in protecting its own people.
And so, they had chosen to accept the Land of Rivers' offer of refuge.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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